


Choices

by PassionWriter



Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:35:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26627608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PassionWriter/pseuds/PassionWriter
Summary: Claire accidentally falls back through the stones when Jamie takes her back after the witch trials
Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser
Comments: 68
Kudos: 177





	1. Chapter 1

Jamie said that he believed her and he knew that he had to give her back the choice. There was only one thing left to do and he would do it, even if it killed him. Another man had a claim on her, another husband who still lived in her time a man that was likely still looking for her. He knew that if he was that man, he would never give up, but he wasn't that man and he had no right to force her to stay with him. All of her choices had been taken from her since Murtagh found her that first day in the woods. It was time to give her the choice and he knew she had already made that choice. She proved it every time she had tried to escape, the last time being only a few weeks before when they were out with the rent party. 

So he wrapped his plaid around her for modesty's sake and helped her up onto the horse. He had one destination in mind, but he wouldn't reveal that to her, not until they were there. So to fill the time when they stopped each night to make camp, he told her stories of his home, of Lallybroch. He revealed the dreams he held in his heart, dreams that no longer would become reality. Those dreams included her and once she went back to her own time, back to her first husband, those dreams would be crushed into dust, never to be dreamed again.

He stood by the tree, watching her, undetected as she washed her hands in the cold water of the stream. He knew that he still had a choice, he could still take her to Lallybroch with him and she would be none the wiser, but he had made a promise to himself that he would not be that man. He would not be like all the others and take her choice from her. So he clenched his teeth, steadied himself, and took a step closer, "Sassenach, are ye ready to go home?"

She looked up at him, that beautiful smile gracing her face. He took a moment to burn it into his memory, for memories would be all he had left once she was gone. He extended his hand toward her, she took it and pulled herself up the short incline to him. She pressed her body against his and he couldn't resist the temptation to press his lips against hers. But he knew he must stop, she was no longer his, so he pulled back and pointed up the hill with his chin, "Have a look." she smiled a sweet smile, not even realizing where he had brought her. She turned away from him and ascended the hill, coming to a sudden stop when she reached the top. He walked up next to her and looked at her face, it was not the reaction he had expected, but then again, she had no idea where he had been taking her, she had thought she would see Lallybroch on the other side of that hill. "Tis yer home, on the other side of the rocks. It's what you've wanted, what you've always wanted."

Her voice came out in a whisper, barely loud enough to hear it above the light breeze, "Yes."

He took hold of her hand, "Come." She let him pull her toward the hill, her feet dragging as if this was now the last thing on earth she wanted. But she followed him up the hill, stopping at the outer ring, "What did ye do last time?"

She seemed in a trance as she answered him and began walking toward the center stone "I didn't really do anything. There was this buzzing sound and I just..."

He reached out and grabbed her hand, not yet ready to let her go. He pulled her against him, she placed a hand over his heart as he pressed his forehead against hers, "I'm sorry lass, I wasna ready yet."

She breathed deeply and pressed harder against him, "I know."

He decided that there was no point in waiting, he had to send her back now. "Ye must go now, there's nothin' for ye here, nothin' save violence and danger."

Claire looked into his eyes and for a moment she thought she saw pain and love reflected back at her, but it only lasted a moment before he resumed his mask, hiding his emotions from her once again. "Alright, if you truly wish me to go, then I'll go."

He released her from his grasp and she took careful steps back away from him, watching his face, waiting for him to change his mind and beg her to stay. But he stood steadfast, hands fisted at his sides and his eye cast down to the ground. She knew if he would just look up, look into her eyes that he would see the truth, he would see that she loved him. She had thought he loved her, but now he wouldn't even look at her, so she resolved to return to her own time, to Frank. She had loved him once and perhaps when she returned she would love him again and the ache from leaving Jamie would fade over time. She shook her head, she knew she was kidding herself, she had never felt anything like what she felt for Jamie and it was tearing her heart out to walk away from him. But this is what he wanted, he had told her as much, he had said nothing save violence and danger, so perhaps he didn't love her as she loved him.

She turned and faced the stone and took one more step, raising her hands, but she had to take one last look at him before he disappeared from her life forever. She turned and looked over her shoulder and as she did, she noticed the tears on his cheeks. At the last moment, she began to spin around to run back to him, but her shoe caught in the grass and she fell. Her hand shot out to steady herself and his head jerked up, but it was too late, she had touched the stone and she was being sucked into the vortex and being hurled through time once again.

Just as the first time she had fallen through the stones, she woke up in a daze of confusion. She opened her eyes and looked around, unsure about where or when she had landed. She sat up and looked down at her clothing, she was still wrapped in Jamie's tartan, her tattered and torn dress beneath it. She got to her feet and with a heavy heart started to make her way down the hill, hoping that a car would be driving by and the driver would be kind enough to offer her a ride. But as she got further down the hill, she realized that she had not been transported back to her own time. The road was gone, but the forest looked familiar, just as it had looked when Jamie had brought her up the hill not even an hour ago.

She turned in a quick circle and looked around in search of Jamie, but he was nowhere in sight. She shook her head and thought perhaps she had been inside the vortex long enough that Jamie had thought she had left him and he had gone back down to the camp to gather his horse. With no other option, she began to make her way toward their camp from the night before. Suddenly she heard shouting and gunshots and she threw herself to the ground to avoid being shot. She looked around and saw redcoats running by and was that Angus? He turned and shot at the redcoats with an expression of joy on his face.

She furrowed her brow, thinking that the scene before her was eerily familiar. She crawled forward from where she was hidden and peered over the embankment and sure enough, down at the stream where she and Jamie had been camped the night before was Black Jack Randall. She already knew he was a vile man, from all the things he had done to her and from what Jamie had revealed to her about his back on that first night. So she made a decision, one that would likely mean that Frank would never exist, but one that had to be made none the less. Frank was in her past and she could no longer hold onto her past, she needed to look toward her future and she was now more certain than ever that her future was with Jamie. 

With her resolve in place, she got to her feet and crept down the embankment, using the sound of the gunfire and stramash behind her to conceal her movements. As she got closer, she noticed that Jack Randall had left his pistol tied to his horse's saddle. She hoped that if he was a serious soldier that he would keep the gun loaded. She calmly stepped closer to the horse, whispering softly to keep it calm, using the techniques that she had seen Jamie utilize when calming a wild beast. The horse didn't move even a muscle as she skirted the trees to come up next to it and slowly untied the pistol. She pulled the hammer back to see if it was ready to fire and sighed in relief when she realized that it was.

She slowly cocked the gun, as another shot rang out in the distance and using the horse as cover, she aimed the pistol at his head, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger. He went down in a heap of flesh and she let out her breath. She dropped the pistol at her feet and the horse leaped away from her. She stepped out of the shadows and walked over to the captain. She knelt down and placed a finger over his carotid artery to ensure he was dead. When she was certain he was dead, she stood, wiped her hands on her skirts, and then everything went black.

She woke up in familiar arms on a horse, aware of the stench of a dirty male behind her as she jerked to full wakefulness. She tried to turn in the saddle but the arm around her waist squeezed tighter and a familiar voice spoke next to her ear, "Ye will hold still if ye ken what's good for ye."

Her eyes widened and she started to speak, but she quickly remembered that this had all happened before and if she had arrived on the day she met Jamie, then nobody would know who she was yet, not even her erstwhile kidnapper, Murtagh. She nodded and looked up ahead just in time to see the cottage coming into sight. She felt her heart speed up with excitement, knowing that Jamie was only moments away from her. She made a silent vow to herself that things would be different this time, she had chosen Jamie when she had taken Black Jack's life. Hell if she was being honest with herself, she had chosen Jamie long before that, she had chosen him when he took her to the stones, but even before that, she had chosen him when he pledged himself to her. To be completely honest, she had chosen him when she married him, she never would have let anyone force her to do anything she didn't already wish to do. So now she had to make it right and let him see that she wanted him and hope that he wanted her too.

They approached the cottage and Murtagh got down off the horse, then he reached up to help her down. He was just as rough this time as he had been last time as he pulled her with him toward the cottage door and shoved her in before him. This time she knew what to expect, and wasn't surprised when Dougal began to question her, "What's yer name, lass?"

Claire raised her chin stubbornly and answered just as she had the first time, "Claire, Claire Beauchamp."

Dougal's eyes grew wide, "A sassenach. What is a sassenach doin' wearin' a Scottish tartan and MacKenzie colors at that?"

Claire panicked and looked down at what she was wearing, trying to formulate an answer, "I, well, I found it."

Dougal scoffed, "No' likely, come, take it off and give it to me, it doesna belong on a sassenach."

Claire pulled the tartan tighter around her, "I can't, I'm not decent underneath."

Dougal quirked his eyebrow, "Why ever no'?"

Claire looked down in shame, "I was attacked."

Dougal leaned forward, and she suddenly knew what her story would be, "Attacked by who?"

She looked up with crocodile tears in her eyes as she began to tell her tale, "I was taken prisoner and my dress was torn from me, Black Jack Randall tried to rape me, but I killed him before he could." She hoped that by telling truths of different things that had happened to her since she first fell through the stones and only mixing up the details from each, that she would be believed.

To her surprise, all the men in the room gasped and took a step back from her and that is when she noticed Jamie sitting by the hearth, staring at her in shock.

Dougal followed the direction of her gaze and seemed to remember what they were about before her sudden appearance had caused a distraction, "Rupert, Angus, hold him, we need to get his arm back in the socket."

Claire watched dumbstruck as the men followed Dougal's commands and another man, whose name she couldn't remember walked over and took hold of Jamie's arm. The pain on his face, snapped her out of her trance, "Stop, you'll break his arm if you do it like that."

The man who had Jamie's arm stepped back as she stormed forward and pushed him out of the way. She knelt in front of Jamie and took hold of his arm, that familiar spark shot between them and she couldn't help the tiny smile that came to her face. She looked up into the face of the man she loved and thought she saw recognition, but this was not the time or place to find out. "This is going to hurt."

Jamie nodded, "Aye, I ken."

Her heart skipped a beat at his answer, perhaps he did remember her. She shook her head and focused on the task at hand, twisting and pushing until his shoulder made a popping sound and his arm moved back into proper position. Then as before she started issuing orders and demanding Angus's belt. She bound his arm and took a step back and watched everything else play out as it had before. When they were alone, Jamie stood up and leaned closer to her, "I thought I had lost ye."

She jerked her head up and looked into those beautiful blue eyes as that familiar cocky smirk spread across his face. But before she could answer, they were being ushered out the door and she was being placed on Jamie's horse. He waited for the rest of the men before kicking his horse to make him move. When there was enough distance to afford them a bit of privacy, Jamie leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Since yer already wearin' my tartan, I dinna see a reason to wrap ye in another, but if yer cold, I would be happy to oblige."

Claire sank back against his chest, "Oh, Jamie, I am so glad I found you again."

Jamie quirked his brow, "Och, aye. I thought ye were eager to get back to yer own time, is that no longer the case?"

Claire shook her head and turned in the saddle so she could see his face, "I choose you and if I hadn't of tripped before falling through the stones, I would have told you that. I didn't want to go back, you forced me to. But I must know, do you want me, as I want you?"

Jamie chuckled, "Och, lass. I have wanted ye since the first moment I set eyes on ye."

Claire rolled her eyes, "Well, I know that, but do you love me?"

Jamie furrowed his brow, not sure if he was ready to reveal that yet, "Do ye love me?"

Claire blushed prettily which was enough answer for Jamie to know the truth, but he needed to hear her say it. "Yes, Jamie, I do love you and I have known it for a while now, but I was afraid that you didn't or don't love me."

Jamie leaned down and placed a kiss on her temple and smiled the most beautiful smile, "Aye, lass, I do love ye."

Claire let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and melted against him, "Good."

They rode in silence for a bit more, just enjoying being together again. But it wouldn't last as Jamie broke the silence after a few minutes, "Ye said ye killed Randall."

Claire nodded, "Yes, I knew I had no other choice, I couldn't let him bring any more harm to either of us or anyone else for that matter."

Jamie made a sound of agreement in his throat, "But did ye no' tell me that he was Frank's ancestor?"

Claire sighed, "Yes, I did."

Jamie looked down at her to assess her emotions, ready to comfort her if she were upset but she seemed to be completely at ease. "But if ye killed Black Jack, then..."

Claire nodded and turned to face him again as her hand came up to cup his cheek, "Yes, that means Frank doesn't exist. As I said, I chose you, so now there is no one to send me back to."

Jamie turned his face and kissed her palm, "So now ye truly are mine."

Claire nodded and leaned up to kiss his chin, "Yes, I am all yours."

Jamie furrowed his brow, "If he willna ever be born, then why do ye still have his ring?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't decided where I'm going with this one yet, so feel free to comment with what you would like to see happen and I will let your seeds grow ideas in my mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Claire looked down at the gold band on her left hand, then back up at Jamie. "I don't know why I still have it, perhaps it's because that is part of the life I have lived. But I don't need the ring anymore, not now that I have made my choice."

Jamie's lips curled a bit before he schooled his face and asked to be sure of her intentions. "Are ye sure?"

Claire pulled the ring from her finger and held it up to him, "Yes, I'm sure. I would be happy with just tossing it into the woods, but I know how valuable gold is in this time, so here, you take it and do with it as you please. Perhaps it can help us in some way."

Jamie took the ring from her and quickly slipped it into his sporran before she could change her mind. Then he leaned down so his mouth was close to her ear, "Ye ken that we still have several obstacles in our path. We are startin' anew and ye are no' yet my wife in this time."

Claire turned and frowned at him, "But I still have your ring as well."

Jamie nodded and kissed her on the shoulder, "Aye, ye do and it fills my heart to see it on yer bonny wee finger, but none of the other men ken ye from before. We must come up wi' a plan, because now that I have ye in my arms again and I ken ye to be truly mine, I dinna intend to let ye go."

Claire's eyes teared up, "Oh, Jamie, I am so glad that we can be completely honest with each other, but I don't see that we have a choice other than to go through the same motions as before."

Jamie shook his head and squeezed her tighter against him, "No. I willna let the men treat ye as they did and there are certain things that I did, that I dinna intend to repeat."

Claire furrowed her brow and looked over her shoulder at him, "Like what?"

Jamie shifted in the saddle a bit with unease, "Well, I did some things to get yer attention, but it turns out I didna need to do those things and they had the opposite effect."

Claire's frown deepened, "What things did you do?"

Jamie cleared his throat, "I took Laoghaire's punishment for other reasons than just savin' the lass from shame."

Claire's eyes grew wide and she pushed against Jamie's good shoulder, "James Fraser, did you do that to show off?"

Jamie chuckled, "I dinna ken what showin' off is, but aye, I did it to impress ye. I also did it so that ye would put yer bonny hands on me again. I couldna get enough of ye touchin' me, still canna, but now that ye ken what my motives were, I dinna need to do it again."

Claire narrowed her eyes at him, "Wait a minute, did you kiss her to make me jealous?"

Jamie's ears turned bright red, "Aye, well, she wished to thank me again and I didna ken what she had in mind. But then she cornered me and kissed me and when I looked up to push her away, ye were standin' there wi' a look on yer face that revealed everything ye were feelin' so instead I pulled her closer. But it was ye that I wanted to be kissin' then, no' her."

Claire rolled her eyes, "You do know that by you standing up for her and then allowing her to kiss you and kissing her back, that you were leading her on."

Jamie frowned, "I dinna ken what that means."

Claire shook her head, "It just means that you were giving her hope that there was something more between the two of you than there really was. You made her believe that you wanted her."

Jamie's eyes grew wide, "Christ, I never thought of it that way, but yer right. I give ye my word to no' do such a thing again, no' wi' anyone."

Claire quirked her brow, "You better not. Even though we aren't technically married yet, you are my husband and you had better not forget it."

Jamie grinned, "I dinna ken what technically is, but I love to hear ye call me yer husband, it's the same way in my mind as well, wife."

Claire giggled, "Technically, means according to the facts, and I love to hear you call me wife as well."

Jamie leaned forward and rested his chin on her shoulder, "This means that I get to court ye properly, wi'out hidin' how I truly feel for ye."

Claire rolled her eyes, "Not that you need to court me, you have already won my heart and I would marry you today if it were possible. But you are right about making a plan to go forward and our first obstacle is going to come in the morning."

Jamie nodded in understanding, "Aye, the ambush at Cocknammon Rock."

Claire sighed, "Yes, and when I brought attention to it last time, Dougal had more reason to think I was a spy for the English. He already thinks that again this time, so I don't know what I'm going to do to dissuade those beliefs. I already killed Black Jack, so he won't need to force you to marry me to keep me out of his hands. I might have mucked everything up by killing him."

Jamie shook his head, "No, ye didna muck anythin' up. We are meant to be together and we will find a way, even if I must do as my parents did and runaway wi' ye."

Claire turned back to him with a worried expression on her face, "Jamie, I have to tell you something. I had not thought of it until you just mentioned your parents, but it's important that you know."

Jamie stroked her cheek gently, "Whatever it is ye can tell me mo ghráidh, it willna change how I feel about ye."

Claire nodded and took a deep breath, "Well, the thing is, I don't think I can have children. I tried before and well, it didn't take."

Jamie clenched his jaw and growled, "Ye mean wi' Frank."

Claire nodded, "Yes, we were married for 8 years and it never happened."

Jamie stayed quiet for a minute in silent contemplation and then he looked down at her, "Did ye no' think that perhaps it was him that couldn't give ye a bairn?"

Claire shook her head, "Well, no. I hadn't really considered that before, but I suppose that could have been the case. But that does bring me back to our predicament. If I can't have children, how will doing what your parents did even work?"

Jamie chuckled, "I dinna need to get ye wi' bairn for my uncles to leave us be. Ye dinna belong to anyone so once we consummate our marriage, ye will be mine and there is nothin' that anyone can do about it."

Claire melted against him in relief, "Alright, but how do we sneak away and wed, last time Dougal bribed the priest."

Jamie raised one eyebrow, "Aye and if it comes down to it, we have yer gold ring and we can do the same."

Claire's eyes sparkled mischievously, "We could, but where would we find a priest that would be willing?"

Jamie frowned, "What do ye mean, Father Bain is in Crainsmure, surely he would do it."

Claire quirked her brow as she looked back at him, "He testified against me at the witch trial. I don't think he is a fan of mine, even if you were to be successful in bribing him." 

Jamie pressed his lips into a flat line at the revelation about one more person who had tried to hurt Claire, "Aye, I dinna ken where we would find a priest, but we willna leave our fate in the hands of others. We'll think of somethin'."

Claire leaned her head back against Jamie's chest and he looked down at her, kissing the crown of her head, "Rest mo ghráidh, we still have a long ride ahead of us."

Claire nodded and yawned, "What does mo ghráidh mean? You have called me that since I cried in your arms that first night at Leoch."

Jamie smiled softly, "It means my love, now rest."

Claire smiled at all of the memories of Jamie calling her my love and closed her eyes to get some sleep. However, she was still mostly conscious when Murtagh slowed his horse to ride next to Jamie and she overheard at least a bit of their conversation.

Murtagh narrowed his gaze at Jamie, "The lass is awfully trustin' to fall asleep in the company of a bunch of strangers."

Jamie hummed in agreement, "Aye, after what she's been through, she feels safe wi' us."

Murtagh furrowed his brow, "How do ye ken that?"

Jamie quirked his brow, "She told me as much."

Murtagh grumbled, "Seems yer gettin' awfully cozy wi' the sassenach mo mac."

Jamie nodded and his mouth curled up into a crooked grin, "Aye, I suppose I am."

Murtagh lowered his voice so as not to be heard by the rest of the men, "I've seen that look before, on yer Da. Dinna get to close wi' the lass. Dougal thinks she might be a spy for the English, I dinna think we can trust her."

Jamie rolled his eyes, "Murtagh, the lass has a glass face, she couldna tell a lie if she tried."

Murtagh made a sound in his throat that wasn't quite clear to Jamie, "Aye, she does, but still, we dinna ken who she truly is."

Jamie shook his head, "Aye, I do. She will be my wife."

Murtagh shook his head, "I knew it, I could see it in yer face when ye set eyes on the lass. So now the questions is, what do ye plan to do about it?"

Jamie shook his head, "I dinna ken, but there is somethin' I must tell ye a goistidh."

Murtagh looked at Jamie, "Out wi' it, then."

Jamie nodded, "I will tell ye everythin' but the most important thing is what happens in the mornin'. There is an ambush waitin' for us at Cocknammon Rock and I think it will be the perfect distraction so we can make our escape."

Murtagh frowned, "How do ye ken that?"

Jamie sighed, "I just do, I will tell ye more when we get away. But for now, I need to ken if ye will help me, if ye will help us."

Murtagh looked down at Claire then back up at Jamie, "What is yer plan?"

Jamie leaned closer to Murtagh, "I ken that Dougal will wish to take part in interceptin' the ambush if he kens about it beforehand and I ken that he will live as will all of his men. But if we dinna tell him about it, he willna ken what is comin' and ye can slip away wi' me and Claire."


	3. Chapter 3

The ragtag group of men had ridden all night and the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. Claire shifted as she woke up and Jamie' tightened his hold on her so she didn't go tumbling off the horse. Murtagh had stayed riding next to Jamie through the night, waiting for the signal that would mean it was time to escape. Claire rubbed her eyes and looked around, seeing Murtagh as she opened her eyes. She smiled sweetly at the old coot as she adjusted her position on the horse, "Good morning, Murtagh."

Murtagh frowned at her, but being raised to be a gentleman he was forced to respond, "Good mornin' to ye, Mistress Beauchamp."

Claire rolled her eyes, "Please call me Claire, there is no need for such formality."

Murtagh quirked his brow and shot a glance at Jamie, who just smirked. "As ye say, Claire."

Claire turned her head and nuzzled into Jamie's chest, which caused pride to shoot through him and he sat a bit taller as his arm tightened around her middle. She peaked up at him from under his tartan and smiled sleepily as she murmured against his chest, "Good morning, my love."

Murtagh's eyebrow's shot to his hairline as he watched in fascination. Jamie grinned and tipped his head down to kiss the lass on the top of the head and murmured his own words of love to her, "Good mornin' mo ghráidh, did ye sleep well?"

Claire nodded against his chest as her arms tightened around his waist, "I always do when you're holding me, Jamie."

Murtagh was absolutely stunned at the exchange between the two of them and his hand shot out to grab Jamie by the arm. Jamie's head whipped around as he looked at his godfather in concern, "What is it a goistidh?"

Murtagh opened and closed his mouth a few times like a fish trying to breathe, then he shook his head and seemed to find his words as he hissed, "What the hell is goin' on? Do ye ken the lass, Jamie?"

Jamie grinned, "Aye, I do, she is my wife a goistidh, has been for about 4 months now."

Murtagh frowned as he let his hand fall away from Jamie's arm, "Married, when, how. Wait, is that yer tartan she's wrapped up in?"

Jamie nodded and smirked, "Aye, tis and I'll tell ye everything, but no' when there are others around. Tis about time we prepare our escape, are ye ready a goistidh?"

Murtagh nodded and gestured his head toward Claire, "What about her, does she ken what's to happen?"

Jamie nodded and kissed her on the crown of her head again, "Aye, she does. Claire, mo chridhe, tis about time, we are almost to Cocknammon rock. I need ye to turn back around so ye can hold on, we will be ridin' fast to get away from the MacKenzie men unscathed."

Claire nodded and pulled herself up, throwing her left leg back across the horse so she was sitting correctly in front of Jamie. He leaned forward to speak into her ear, "Hold onto the saddle, I'll need both hands if we are to make it away wi'out fallin' off the horse."

Claire nodded, "I'm ready, Jamie."

They rode in silence, holding back a bit at a time to slowly gain space between them and the MacKenzie's so that when the British attacked the group, they would hopefully go unnoticed as they slipped away. When the group began to approach the spot where Jamie had dumped Claire off his horse the first time, Jamie held back his horse to almost a crawl. He listened for the soldiers in the woods and when the first gunshot rang out, he spun his horse around and shot off into the woods, with Murtagh right on his tail. As they rode away, Claire could hear the battle cries of the MacKenzie's and the sounds of clashing swords, as well as muskets, being fired. She thanked God that Jamie was not down there getting shot again. Jamie couldn't hear anything over the beating of his own heart, so when Claire tapped him on the thigh, he nearly jumped off the horse. "What is it mo ghráidh?"

Claire turned as much as she could safely at the speed they were riding, "I think the battle is over, should we stop and wait for them to move on, you know, maybe make sure that we won't be followed?"

Jamie pulled his horse to a stop, "Aye, perhaps we should, but I dinna wish to risk goin' back in case they are searchin' for us."

Murtagh patted Jamie on the back, "Dinna fash, I'll go have a look, ye just keep headin' to Lallybroch."

Jamie nodded and kicked his horse into a gallop, "Hold on mo chridhe, we are gonna put as much ground between us and the MacKenzie's while we have the advantage."

Claire frowned, "What about Murtagh?"

Jamie smirked, "He'll be fine, he can handle himself. They willna even ken he is there, he will assess their damages and return to us wi' a full report. I expect he will catch up to us by nightfall, but we must make haste and get off MacKenzie lands as fast as possible."

Claire held on tight as Jamie kicked his horse into a full gallop, covering ground faster than she had ever seen before. They rode like that for what seemed like hours before Jamie gradually, pulled the horse to a slow trot and then a stop as they reached a creek. "We still have a few miles to go before we reach the edge of the MacKenzie lands, but the horse needs a drink and a bit of respite before we press on."

Claire nodded, "Yes, a drink sounds wonderful right about now. Do you think we will be off MacKenzie lands before nightfall?"

Jamie shook his head, "Nah, I dinna think so, but Dougal and his men willna risk runnin' into a redcoat by searchin' for us after dark."

Claire sighed in relief, "But that's only if Dougal and the men survived, will they still come after us if some of them were killed?"

Jamie shrugged as he opened one of the saddlebags and started rummaging around inside of it, "I dinna ken, I suppose it would depend on who was killed. I canna see his men comin' after us at all if Dougal was killed or even seriously injured. They might even think that we were killed or captured in the stramash. We willna ken anything until Murtagh returns. Ye best get some rest while we have a bit of time, I dinna wish to linger here any longer than necessary. Tis no' just Dougal that we must be wary of, there are still redcoat patrols all over the highlands."

Claire nodded, "Right, of course. Do you have anything to eat in that saddlebag, the last thing either of us had to eat was the rabbit you caught for breakfast before you took me to Craigh Na Dun?"

Jamie pulled a bannock from the bag along with a flask of whisky. "I've only got the one bannock, ye should eat it." Jamie held the bannock out to her.

Claire furrowed her brow and pushed it back at him, "No, we will share it or neither of us will have any of it."

Jamie shook his head and tore the bannock in half, offering Claire the larger half and biting into the other piece before she had a chance to argue. Claire rolled her eyes and took the bannock, tearing into it with her teeth, just as she had watched Jamie do. After she swallowed her first bite, she looked up at him, "Do you think we have time to catch some fish or a rabbit?"

Jamie shook his head, "Nah, after ye finish this, I think we should continue movin' on. I wish to get as far as we can while we still have a bit of light left."

Claire nodded and walked away from him, taking the time they had to thoroughly stretch her legs before climbing back on the horse for an indeterminant amount of time. When she popped the last bite of bannock in her mouth, Jamie walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "I ken of a cave, no' far from the border of the MacKenzie lands, if we leave now, we should arrive there as the last rays of sun shine upon the fields of heather."

Claire nodded and turned around in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and tangling her fingers in his hair, "Do we have time for a kiss before we go?"

Jamie grinned as he pressed his mouth against hers, "Always mo nighean donn."

Claire returned his grin and he gently nibbled on her bottom lip, pulling it between his lips and suckling gently until her tongue darted out to enter his mouth. Their tongues tangled for a bit as Jamie's hand made it's way down her back to cup her arse and press her hips into him, eliciting a groan from both of them. Claire pulled back from the kiss, placing her palm over his heart, "If we don't stop now, I'm afraid we won't be able to stop and your goal of reaching the cave before nightfall will be for naught."

Jamie rested his forehead against hers as he let out a sigh, "Aye, yer right. We should go."

Claire walked over to the horse and waited for Jamie to fill his flask with water from the creek. As he approached he shook his head, "Nah, I think we can cover more ground if ye ride behind me lass. That way I will have better control of his head and ye can hold onto my waist."

Claire quirked a brow, "Is that so, I think you just want my arms around you."

Jamie's eyes went wide then narrowed when she giggled, "As much as I love to have yer bonny arms wrapped around me, Sassenach, if this was about feelin' ye close to me, I'd much rather have yer fine fat arse wedged tight between my thighs. But gettin' to the cave faster does have somethin' to do wi' wantin' yer legs wrapped around my waist as ye scream out my name. Murtagh willna be far behind us and I intend to have my way wi' ye before he catches up to us."

Claire blushed prettily, "I was just teasing you, but it seems I wasn't too far off about your intentions."

Jamie shook his head as he took the last few steps to reach her and gathered her against his chest wi' his good arm, "No' far off at all. Now, stop tryin' to distract me, we must be off."

Claire took a step back to allow Jamie room to swing up onto the horse. Once he was mounted he reached a hand down, took her hand in his and swung her up as if she weighed nothing. She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and rested her cheek against his back. The wool of his coat was rough on the skin of her face, but Claire didn't mind a bit. The texture was all Jamie and if she nuzzled her nose against him, she could inhale his unique scent that was all man. 

Jamie kicked the horse hard and they took off like a bolt of lightning, getting closer and closer to the MacKenzie border with each thundering step the horse took. Claire kept a tight hold on Jamie, never loosening her grip as she watched for any sign they were being followed or had been spotted by the redcoat patrols he had mentioned at the creek. After what seemed like several hours later, Jamie began to bring the horse to a slow trot. Claire tipped her head up so she could get her mouth closer to his ear, "Why are you slowing down?"  
Jamie turned his head to look over his shoulder at her, "We are nearly to the cave, but I dinna wish for the horse to leave deep tracks that anyone could easily follow. If we go a bit slower for the last mile, we will be harder to track."

Claire nodded, then remembered that Jamie likely couldn't see her, "Alright." She snuggled impossibly closer to him, thanking God that they had been able to make it so far. With the knowledge that they were so close to freedom, Claire allowed her body to relax against Jamie's back and she closed her eyes, only intending to take a bit of a catnap as they made their way to the cave. 

Before she knew it, Jamie was pulling on one of her arms, "Sassenach, Claire, we're here, ye must wake up lass. I canna get down wi' yer arms wrapped around me."

Claire's eyes fluttered open and she took in her surroundings. They were deep in the forest and she didn't see a cave in sight. She released her hold on Jamie and he swung his leg over the front of the horse and slid off the side. He turned to help her down and noticed the frown on her face, "What is it?"

Claire shook her head, realizing that her confusion was written on her face, "It's just that you said we would be staying in a cave, but I don't see one, anywhere."

Jamie smirked, "That's the point, if it were easy to find, then everyone would ken about it and it wouldna be a good hidin' place, ken."

Claire's frowned softened and she allowed Jamie to help her down. She stood next to the horse wondering where the entrance to this supposed cave was as Jamie untied the bedroll from the horse. When he was finished he tucked the bedroll under his injured elbow and took her by the hand with his free hand. "Come, I'll show ye."

Claire nodded and let him lead her directly toward a gorse bush, which he parted with his hand after releasing her hand. He gestured with his head for her to have a closer look. She frowned but walked closer, realizing that he was right, there was a cave hidden behind the leafy bush. She leaned down as far as she could, gathering her skirts in her fists and carefully made her way in through the small opening. She looked back to make sure that Jamie could make it inside, not entirely sure he would fit through such a small opening. But only a moment later, he had joined her inside the cave and was able to stand up straight.

The inside of the cave was almost pitch black, save for the bit of light that trickled through the leaves of the gorse bush, but that didn't' seem to bother Jamie at all as he made his way toward the back of the cave and began to spread out the bedroll. Once he had it ready, he sat down on it and began to remove his clothes, starting with his boots. By the time he had removed everything except his shirt, Claire had made her way over to stand above him.

He looked up at her with amusement in his eyes, "Do ye need help wi' yer laces lass?"

Claire looked down at her dress, "Well, no. Don't you remember they were cut at the witch trials?"

Jamie chuckled and patted the space on the makeshift pallet next to him, "Aye, I remember, come and sit next to me, I'll help ye wi' the rest of yer layers."

Claire unwrapped the tartan that Jamie had wrapped around her when he rescued her and tossed it onto the bedroll. Then she sat down next to him, turned away from him, and allowed him to untie her skirts. Her bodice fell away since it had been cut open during the witch trial and all that remained was her tattered shift. It slid down her shoulders as she turned back toward Jamie. His eyes were huge as he took in her bared chest and reached a hand out to cup her breast. 

Claire was strangely nervous and spoke up before his fingers reached her skin, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Jamie frowned and let his hand fall to the bedroll between them, "What do ye, mean, why would I no' wish to make love to my wife?"

Claire sighed, "Well, we're not truly married in this lifetime. You are an honorable man and had told me before that you wouldn't lie with a woman unless you were married to her."

Jamie smirked and shook his head, "That is no' exactly what I said. What I had said was that I wouldna lie wi' a lass unless I was ready to offer her marriage, and aye, I ken we are no' married, yet. But I am offerin' ye marriage, will ye have me?"

Claire blushed and lowered her head to look up at him through her lashes. Her voice came out husky with desire, "Yes, of course, I'll have you, Jamie."


	4. Chapter 4

Jamie leaned in for a kiss, much as he did on their wedding night. However, Claire abruptly stopped him as she spoke, "Don't you think we should talk first?"

Jamie chuckled, "Sassenach, do ye ken that ye did the same thing to me when we first wed?"

Claire frowned, "What do you mean, what did I do?"

Jamie shook his head as he leaned away from her, "Just as I was about to kiss yer beautiful soft lips, ye spoke up and stopped me."

Claire's eyes went round with realization, "Oh, I am so sorry. I mean the first time I was nervous and looking for a way to help me relax. Which you were able to do by simply talking to me by the way. But I wasn't trying to stall this time, truly. I just think we need to talk about everything."

Jamie quirked an eyebrow, "Och, aye? Such as?"

Claire cleared her throat, "Well for starters, when you took me to the hill, you said there was nothing for me on this side of the stones, save violence and danger. But then when we were on the horse after I met you in the cottage for the second time, and I admitted my feelings for you, and you told me that you love me too. If you loved me before you took me to that hill, then why did you tell me there was nothing here for me, why take me back to the hill at all?"

Jamie sighed, "Aye, I suppose I can see why yer conflicted. After ye told me the truth about yer self, I wasna entirely convinced that ye were right about the stones. I could see that ye believed it, but it is quite an unbelievable story. However, there was a part of me that kent ye were no' mad and that ye had indeed traveled from the future. There were just too many things about ye that didna seem as though ye fit in this time. Yer a proud woman and ye carry yer self as such, tis one of the things I love about ye. Yer different than anyone I have ever known, tis why I have always thought of ye as my Sassenach, no' because yer English or an outsider, but because yer unusual. I love that there is no' another woman like ye in my world. But as for the reason I took ye to the hill, I kent that ye were no' mine. Ye were married to a man that was waitin' for ye, waitin' in yer own time. It was no' right of me to keep ye, no matter how much it was tearin' my heart out to let ye go. I wanted to, God I wanted to take ye as far away from that blasted hill as I could get and keep ye all to myself. But I couldna do so, I couldna keep that choice from ye. I prayed that ye would choose me, but I couldna force my own needs on ye, ye had to make the decision for yer self. Then when I saw ye turn and begin to fall, hope blossomed in my chest that ye might just love me too. But before I could move my feet to run to ye, the stones took ye from me. Ye vanished before my verra eyes and before I could form a thought or even wish that I hadna taken ye to the stones, I found myself layin' on the ground wi' my shoulder out of joint. I kent then, that we had been given another chance and I wasna about to waste a moment of it."

Claire sighed as she wiped a lone tear from her cheek, "You are an honorable man, Jamie Fraser, I love that about you. But I didn't want to leave you, I mean, yes I tried a few times before then. But at that moment when you took me to the stones, I didn't want to leave anymore. I only walked toward that stone, because I thought you didn't want me. I thought perhaps you truly did wish to be with Laoghaire and were relieved to be rid of me. But then I turned to look back at you, to memorize everything about you one last time. That's when I saw the tear on your cheek and it gave me hope that perhaps you were only doing what you thought you must. I tried to turn and run to you, but my boot caught in the grass, causing me to trip and lose my balance. My hand shot out and unfortunately, I touched the stone, and you know the rest."

Jamie leaned closer to her, his breath tickling her cheek, "It did give us a bit more time and now we can be honest wi' one another. I have plenty left to tell ye, but now is no' the time."

Claire moved closer, eliminating the rest of the space between them, and pressed her lips to his for a chaste kiss. She pulled back and looked into his eyes, "I agree, but are you sure you wish to do this without being married first?"

Jamie chuckled, "Ye ken me better than I thought. Aye, but I have a solution if ye trust me."

Claire quirked her eyebrow, "Oh, and what solution is that Mr. Fraser?"

Jamie cupped her cheek, "Well, Miss Beauchamp, since we are no' within a day's ride of a priest, I suggest we handfast. We will exchange a blood vow and declare ourselves wed. It will last for a year and a day and at the end of that time, if ye choose to go back to Frank, I will take ye to the stones myself."

Claire smirked, "And if I choose to stay?"

Jamie's grin spread across his face with a radiance that would light the whole world, "It would give me great pleasure if ye choose to stay mo ghráidh."

Claire reached up and stroked his evening stubble, "What if I don't want to wait that long to be properly married to you?"

Jamie leaned closer so that his lips were brushing hers, "Then we dinna wait, we can be wed properly in a kirk as soon as ye wish mo chridhe."

Claire murmured against his lips, "Then what are we waiting for. I want to be wed to you today, my love, but I will settle with handfasting for now."

Jamie grinned just before crushing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss that spoke all the words of his heart. When they eventually separated for some air, Jamie rested his forehead against hers and simply stared into her whisky eyes. 

Claire tipped her head up just enough to press one last kiss to his lips before pulling away entirely, "I suppose we will need something to bind our wrists together, right?"

Jamie nodded, "Aye, pass me my dirk, we will need to make a small cut on our wrists, just as before as well."

Claire reached over to his sword belt and pulled his dirk from the scabbard and handed it to him. "Since my shift is already destroyed from the witch trial, we can just use a strip of it for the binding cloth."

Jamie used his tartan to wipe off the blade and waited while Claire tore off a good length of cloth from her shift. "Dougal tied the cloth before, how do we do it when each of us only has one free hand?"

Jamie smirked, "Lay the cloth across yer legs, and after I slice our wrists, and we press them together to mingle the blood, I'll take an end and ye can take the other. We will do it together."

Claire grinned, "So we shall, as we will be doing everything going forward from this day."

Jamie chuckled, "Aye, Sassenach, tis a good vow to add to the handfasting."

Claire nodded in approval, "Good, and if it's alright with you, I have something I would like to add after we do the blood vow. I would also like to do the blood vow in both Gáidhlig and English this time."

Jamie reached out and took her right hand, placed a kiss on the tender skin of her wrist then furrowed his brow. "Yer scar from our first blood vow isna here anymore."

Claire frowned, "How can that be, it's only been a few weeks. Give me your hand, let me look at your wrist."

Jamie extended his hand, which Claire took in her hands abruptly and examined the skin of his wrist, "Your scar is gone too. Do you suppose that when I touched the stones that everything went back to how it was? Well, I mean everything other than my clothes and the ring you gave me apparently."

Jamie shrugged, "I dinna ken, my shoulder was out of socket again. Take a look at my shoulder, tell me if I have a scar from when I was shot during the ambush at Cocknammon rock."

Claire leaned closer to him and examined his shoulder, "It's gone, it's as if you were never shot. Turn a bit and let me see if the scar from the duel is still there."

Jamie lifted his arm and turned so Claire could take a look at his side, "No, that one is gone too."

Claire's eyes grew big, "Do you think that means that you're a virgin again?"

Jamie shrugged, "I would imagine so, but tis no' like a lass. There is no physical change to a man's body after he has lain wi' a lass."

Claire frowned, "Right, you're right. And it's not like you don't have those memories to know what to do now."

Jamie chuckled, "I've had a good teacher, I ken just fine what to do now. I'll no ever be ruttin' at ye as if yer pleasure doesna matter as much as mine ever again."

Claire giggled, "That's good to hear. Now let's get on with this before Murtagh stumbles in and finds us sitting here naked as the day we were born."

Jamie's eyes went round, "Or worse, I dinna wish for him to come in while I'm havin' my way wi' ye."

Claire shook her head and rolled her eyes, "Here, cut my wrist, then I'll cut yours."

Jamie took Claire's hand again, pressed another kiss to her wrist, and quickly pulled the blade across the tender skin, causing the blood to well up. Claire took the dirk from Jamie and repeated the process on his wrist. She released his hand and Jamie took a hold of her right hand with his right and pressed their wrists together. She set the dirk aside and they both took an opposite end of the cloth and together they tied a loose not, binding them together for the rest of their lives. 

Claire cleared her throat and looked deep into Jamie's eyes, "I want you to know that I mean everything I say to you, I take these vows to heart. You are precious to me as well, James Fraser."

Jamie grinned and sat up a bit straighter, "Alright, mo ghráidh, let us begin. I James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, take thee, Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp to be my wife."

Claire smiled softly with all the love she had for him showing in her eyes, "And I Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp, take thee James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser to be my husband. 

Jamie began to speak but the look on Claire's face stopped him, "What is it Sassenach?"

Claire sighed, "Jamie, I don't' remember the words to the blood vow, you will have to say them again so I can repeat them."

Jamie's frown turned into a soft smile as he nodded, "Alright then, repeat each line after me. Is tu fuil 'o mo chuislean, is to chaimh de mo chnaimh."

Claire concentrated on his lips as they formed each word, then repeated each line, "Is tu fuil 'o mo chuislean, is to chaimh de mo chnaimh.

Jamie smiled softly and recited the next line of the oath, "Is leastsa mo bhodhaig, chum gum bi sinn 'n ar n-aon."

Jamie squeezed her hand in silent encouragement, "Is leastsa mo bhodhaig, chum gum bi sinn 'n ar n-aon."

Jamie said the last line a bit slower than the first time he had done so, "Is leastsa mo bhodhaig, chum gum bi sinn 'n ar n-aon."

Claire took a deep breath and repeated the last line, watching as Jamie's grin grew bigger with each word she uttered, "Is leastsa mo bhodhaig, chum gum bi sinn 'n ar n-aon."

Jamie chuckled, "Good, now in English, together."

Claire smiled and together they repeated the vow in English, "You are blood of my blood, and bone of my bone. I give ye my body, that we two might be one. I give you my spirit till our life shall be done."

Jamie raised their bound hands and kissed her knuckles, "Even beyond death, mo ghráidh."

Claire placed her free hand on Jamie's cheek, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb, "We are bound as one, I shall never be parted from you. From this day forward we make all of our choices together as one. I go where you go, James Fraser, now and forever, no matter where we are or what troubles we face, we shall do it together, always."

Jamie felt a tear trickling down his cheek, to be quickly wiped away by Claire's thumb, "Aye, there are the two of us now. Together, forever, until the end of time."

Jamie cupped the back of Claire's head and leaned slowly toward her, gently brushing his lips across hers in the most tender kiss he had ever given her. She wrapped her arm around his neck and tangled her fingers in his curls. Their bound hands pressed tight between their bodies as they claimed one another. After a few moments, they pulled away breathless, "Jamie, let's take this binding off, I need to get both of my hands on you, I need to make love to my husband."

Jamie's voice came out deeper and huskier than usual as he breathed against her lips, "Aye, I need to touch ye as well, Sassenach."


	5. Chapter 5

Claire pushed Jamie onto his back and he grabbed a hold of both of her wrists, "I'll no' be takin' my pleasure from ye wi'out seein' to yers as well, mo chridhe."

Claire giggled, "Not to worry my love, I know we don't have much time before Murtagh arrives, I only mean to ride my husband tonight."

Jamie quirked his brow and grinned wickedly, "Och, aye? Do as ye please then, my wee vixen."

Claire climbed on top of him, her legs straddling his hips. She hovered just high enough above him that when his cocked twitched in anticipation, the head of it just barely brushed against her hot, throbbing core. He moaned at the brief contact and grasped her hips in his large hands, trying not to force her down and let her take the lead in delivering their pleasure. She pressed her hands to his chiseled abdomen and licked her lips. "This is all for you my love, I want to show you how much you mean to me."

Jamie nodded as he looked up at her through hooded eyes, "My body is yers to do as ye wish."

Claire's mouth curled up in a mischievous grin, and she slowly lowered her hips, making minute adjustments to guide his cock inside of her core without the use of her hands. She reached down to spread her lips, feeling her own silky wetness coat her fingers. Jamie's eyes were drawn to her hand and a low groan escaped from deep in his chest as he watched her fingers move effortlessly over her tiny pink bud, "Oh, Sassenach, I canna tell ye what it does to me to see ye touch yer self as such. That should be my hands touchin' yer beautiful parts."

Claire became more bold at his words and lifted her hips higher so she could plunge two fingers inside of herself, spreading her wetness over the outsides of her folds. When she saw his eyes narrow as he watched the movements of her hand, she moved her hand away from her opening and used her juices to coat his straining cock. Then she placed her warm wet hand back on his torse and slowly lowered herself onto him. Her prior ministrations aiding in allowing his cock to glide directly between her folds as she lowered herself to the root of his cock. Jamie's grip on her hips tightened as he held her down on him, allowing his throbbing cock to press deep inside of her. She began to rock back and forth, the pressure of his cock putting pressure in just the right spot as she rocked harder and faster. It only took a minute for the heat to gather in her belly, growing so hot and strong that she could no longer contain the sounds threatening to escape her throat. Jamie pressed up, deepening the connection as she cried out his name in rapturous ecstasy. 

When her shuddering slowed, Jamie lifter her off his cock then let her slide back down. She set a steady increasing rhythm as she chased her second release. Jamie was mesmerized at the sight of her. Her face illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the cave opening, lost in pure emotion as the world around them disappeared and the only thing that matter was their soul deep connection. Soon she lost her rhythm and her legs began to tremble, Jamie deftly flipped them over so that he was above her. He rocked back onto his heels, lifted her hips, and slammed home, deeper than he had been before. 

He set a steadily increasing powerful rhythm, watching as her face showed the pleasure building in her core. He felt her walls begin to flutter around his cock, seeming to suck him deeper with each thrust. He gritted his teeth, not wanting their connection to end to soon. He watched and felt her body shudder and flush as he brought her to the precipice once more. His whole body trembled with the effort to hold his release back just a bit longer as he reached down and began to stroke her bundle of nerves with one hand and massaged her breast with the other. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger and leaned forward to take her other nipple in his mouth, intermittently grazing his teeth over the hard bud and suckling it deep into his mouth as she began to shudder beneath him. This time he allowed her body to pull him over the edge into oblivion as he spilled his hot seed deep into her body in continuous spurts. He relaxed over her, moving most of his weight off to the side of her, but not breaking their connection. Their bodies remained connected through the aftershocks of their synchronized climax as Jamie stroked her hair away from her face. He murmured against her hair as her body melted against his, "Tha gaol agam ort, mo nighean donn. Get a bit of rest, I'll no' let any harm come to ye."

Claire murmured something against his chest, which he couldn't quite make out, but he thought was 'I love you, too.' He grinned and grabbed his plaid to cover them both, gracefully twirling it to land over their exposed bodies. He wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her tighter to his chest, still not breaking the tender connection of their bodies at their cores. He closed his eyes and joined her for a bit of sleep before Murtagh arrived to burst their peaceful bubble.

* * *

Jamie awoke a few hours later to the sound of hoofbeats outside their cave. He looked down and tucked his tartan a bit tighter around Claire to ensure her modesty and carefully extracted himself from Claire's embrace. He quickly pulled on his breeks and walked outside the cave to meet Murtagh and stop him from entering the cave. "Glad to see ye made it a goistidh, do ye have news?"

Murtagh dismounted his horse and started to walk toward the cave entrance, but Jamie stepped in front of him, "What's the matter wi' ye lad, step out of the way and let's go inside. It willna do us any good to be caught out here in the open."

Jamie shook his head, "Claire's inside, ye canna go in just yet."

Murtagh frowned, "Why no'?"

Jamie blushed to the tips of his ears and thanked the Lord that it was too dark for Murtagh to notice, "She isna decent, but if ye give me a few minutes, I'll wake her and come out to fetch ye once she is dressed."

Murtagh's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, "Why is the lass no' decent, Jamie and what were ye doin' inside the cave wi' her if she isna decent?"

Jamie sighed, "We handfast and consummated the handfasting. She is my wife now, so ye must let me see to her and wait outside a bit."

Murtagh threw his hands in the air and turned away from Jamie to walk back toward his horse, "Dinna tarry too long, lad. I have news and it canna wait."

Jamie nodded, "Just give us a few minutes, aye?"

Jamie turned around and walked back into the cave, taking a moment to take in the sleeping form of his beautiful wife wrapped in his tartan. He walked slowly over to her, knelt down next to her and leaned over, placing a kiss on her shoulder, "Wake up, mo ghráidh, Murtagh has arrived."

Claire's eyelids began to flutter as she came to consciousness, "Jamie?"

He smiled and brushed a curl out of her face, "Aye, tis me. Ye must get up now, Murtagh is here and he has news for us."

Claire furrowed her brow and sat up, "What time is it?"

Jamie sighed, "Tis late, but ye must get up and put some clothes on, Murtagh has come, he needs to speak wi' us."

Claire nodded and Jamie helped her to her feet. She was still a bit sluggish from sleep, so Jamie helped her put what was left of her dress back on, then wrapped her in the tartan they had been using to sleep on. When she was completely dressed, he pulled his own shirt back on then kissed her soundly. "Wait here, have a seat on our pallet, I'll go out and fetch Murtagh."

Claire smiled sleepily at him, "Yes, my love. I'll wait right here, I'm too tired to go anywhere anyway."

A few minutes later, Jamie returned with Murtagh following right behind him as he walked over and sat down beside Claire, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Murtagh sat opposite them and noted the intimacy between them with a slight nod. "As ye ken, I stayed behind to make sure Dougal and his men didna follow ye or notice yer escape. I found a place to hide above the stramash where the men couldna see me, but I could see and hear them. Dougal was shot, badly wounded in the stramash, and sent Rupert and Angus in search of Claire. Dougal's men killed most of the British soldiers but a few of them were able to get away unharmed. Rupert and Angus returned to Dougal and told him that they suspected the British that had escaped took the both of ye as well as myself into custody. Dougal demanded the men take him back to Leoch so that his bullet wound could be mended by Mrs. Fitz."

Claire furrowed her brow, "How much further did they have until they reached Leoch from that location?"

Murtagh rubbed his chin, "If they rode at a gallop, perhaps ten or eleven hours."

Claire sighed as her shoulders relaxed, "Could you tell me where he had been shot?"

Murtagh nodded, "Aye, he was holdin' his belly on the left side, just below his ribs."

Claire's eyes lit up as she looked at Jamie, "I think our problems with Dougal MacKenzie are over."

Jamie frowned as he squeezed her shoulder, "What makes ye think that?"

Claire turned to face him a bit more and motioned to the area where Murtagh had indicated Dougal had been shot, "If Dougal was shot anywhere in this area, he already has a low chance of survival, but if the wound is not seen to immediately, he will become septic."

Jamie looked over at Murtagh who shrugged his shoulders in confusion then returned his gaze to Claire, "Is that serious?"

Claire nodded, "Yes if the bullet penetrated the intestines or stomach, there is a high probability for blood poisoning or septicemia. If that is the case, Dougal MacKenzie will not survive long enough to reach Leoch and if by some miracle he does, it is highly unlikely that Mrs. Fitz will be able to treat him well enough to save his life."

Both Murtagh and Jamie looked at her like gaping fish, she furrowed her brow at them, "What?"

Jamie shook his head to try and form a logical sentence, "There were a lot of 'ifs' in that explanation. So there is a chance that he could survive?"

Claire nodded, "Well yes if the bullet merely grazed him, then he will suffer no more than a deep scratch to his abdomen. Without examining him myself I can't be certain."

Both Jamie and Murtagh nodded, "Aye, tis best that we get a bit more sleep and leave at first light then. We dinna need to spend more time on MacKenzie lands than necessary."

Jamie nodded, "Aye, I dinna wish to be here long. We will wake wi' the larks and make haste toward Lallybroch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know very little about bullet wounds and their infections, so just take this whole tale as fantasy.


	6. Chapter 6

Since Jamie had already slept for a few hours after he and Claire consummated their union, he volunteered to remain awake a keep watch until it was time to leave. Murtagh had ridden hard to catch up with the two of them so he made no argument when Jamie volunteered. He spread his own tartan on the opposite side of the cave from Claire while Jamie sat at the entrance of the cave to keep watch. It wasn't long before the sounds of both Murtagh and Claire sleeping filled the interior of the cave and Jamie tuned his ears to the sounds of the outside world. 

He sat for hours listening to the creatures of the night and staring up at the stars, praying to God that soon all of their problems would be solved. Of course, there was still the matter of the price on his head. But since he already knew the name of the man responsible for the soldier's murder, he would no longer need to meet Horrocks. They were also now free of the monster Black Jack Randall and no one would ever have to worry about facing that mad man again. 

When he had rescued Claire from the pyre in Cranesmuire he had intended to take her back to Lallybroch, at least that had been what he thought to do until she had revealed the truth of her origins to him. Now that he had also somehow traveled back in time to relive the previous 6 months, he knew her story to be true. However, this time they were being completely honest with one another from the beginning and he hoped that would only strengthen the bond they shared. Perhaps going back to Lallybroch now with his wife at his side wouldn't be as painful as he once thought it would be. Having Claire by his side tended to make him feel braver and more courageous. Even if Jenny rejected him and blamed him for their father's death, he would still have Claire. Together they could build a family of their own, no matter how Jenny decided to react to his sudden return.

Lallybroch was likely the only safe place he could go while he still had a price on his head, at least it would be if Jenny didn't turn him away. It would certainly be a shock to Jenny when he showed up at Lallybroch after 4 years with no word and a wife on his arm, but he was eager to see his home and his sister again, almost as eager as he was to take Claire to Lallybroch and introduce her to her new home. 

But if Jenny did reject him, he would need another plan. Perhaps he could gather what he would need from Lallybroch, and then take Claire to Paris. At least in Paris, he would be free, and surely Jared would give him a job.

With Claire's knowledge of the future, she might even be able to help him to secure a pardon so that one day they could return home to Lallybroch. He realized after spending time with the MacKenzie rent party with his wife, that life on the road and on the run was no place to raise a family and that was something he yearned for dearly. At least in Paris, they would have a roof over their heads and not have the worry of looking over their shoulder in constant fear of being hunted. 

With that in mind, he smiled to himself, hoping Jenny would be in a forgiving mood when they arrived. With nothing more to think through, he let his mind drift for a bit while he listened to the sounds of the night and stared up at the stars. 

* * *

When the sky began to lighten, Jamie decided it was time for them to go and make their way toward Lallybroch. They would make it off of MacKenzie lands within a few hours of leaving the cave, but it would take them another night and day before they would reach Lallybroch, so the sooner they left, the better. He got to his feet, stretched his legs which were stiff from sitting on the cold ground for most of the night, and made his way inside the cave to wake Claire and Murtagh from their slumber. 

Jamie woke Murtagh first and waited until he had gathered his tartan and exited the cave before going over and kneeling next to Claire to place a tender kiss on her temple. "Wake up mo ghráidh."

Claire groaned and rolled over, peering up at Jamie, "What time is it?"

Jamie chuckled, "Ye seem to have an obsession with kenning the time, lass. But to answer yer question, tis early, we have about 2 hours before daybreak. We must leave now so that we might be off of the MacKenzie lands before the sun rises above the horizon."

Claire nodded and sat up slowly, still tired for all of the activities they had engaged in before going to bed the night before. "Alright, give me a moment to completely wake and go into the woods to relieve myself, and then I will be ready to go."

Jamie chuckled as he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, "Dinna take to long, lass, Murtagh is eager to leave this place."

Jamie got to his feet and walked out of the cave to help Murtagh prepare the horses to leave. He watched as Claire walked out of the cave and disappeared behind a large tree to relieve herself. He knew she wouldn't run away again, but for the few moments she was out of his sight, he felt his wame twist with fear. But when she reemerged a few minutes later and strode back over to where he was readying his horse, he let out a breath of relief. She stood aside and waited as he tightened the horse's saddle then took a hold of his shoulders and spun him around, place a passionate kiss on his lips before pulling away breathlessly and grinning up at him, "There is plenty more where that came from, but you need to take me home if you wish to enjoy it."

Jamie chuckled, "Aye, I suppose I do, give me yer foot so I can boost ye up and we shall be on our way then."

Claire giggled and placed her left foot into Jamie's cupped hands, bouncing a bit on her right foot as he lifted her into the saddle. He quickly mounted behind her and they were off at a quick clip within a moment. After a bit, the sounds of Claire's stomach complaining of hunger reached Jamie's ears. And he closed his eyes and shook his head in shame as he leaned forward over her shoulder, "I'm so sorry lass, I should have tried to snare a rabbit or two before I woke ye this morning."

Claire shook her head and waved her hand in the air as if to dismiss his concerns, "Oh, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. We can worry about finding something to eat after we are back on your lands."

Jamie furrowed his brow and tightened his arm around her waist, "Tis no' just my land, tis ours now. We may no' have been married in a church this time, but ye are my wife just the same. Ye are my lady and Lallybroch is as much yers as it is mine, just as I told ye it was that night that I pledged my oath to ye at Leoch."

Claire smiled and blushed as she leaned her head back against his chest, "Yes, you are quite right. I guess it will just take a bit of getting used to, but I am yours and I'm not going anywhere. I suppose that means that what is mine is yours and what is yours is mine. However, I feel like I'm not bringing anything to contribute to this marriage. You told me that you had nothing to offer me, save your name and protection, but it turns out that you have much more than what you had originally let on. Of course, you know my truth and why I have nothing to my name, but I still feel as though I need to do something to earn my place by your side. I don't feel worthy to be called Lady Broch Tuarach."

Jamie chuckled and leaned forward to place a kiss at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, "Ye will make the perfect lady and all I ask in return is that ye love me and remain by my side."

Claire sighed as she closed her eyes and tried to imagine her future as Jamie's lady, "I can promise that, but I still wish to prove that I truly belong with you."

Jamie rolled his eyes, "Yer a stubborn woman, and I ken ye will do as ye please, no matter what I ask of ye. But I must warn ye about Jenny before we arrive."

Claire nodded and listened intently as Jamie explained the estranged relationship he had with his sister and the reason behind it. She attempted to assuage his fears about Jenny falling pregnant by Black Jack, but Jamie wouldn't give up the thought until he could see with his own eyes that it was only a rumor or that Dougal had indeed been right about his account of what had happened to Jenny in Jamie's absence.


	7. Chapter 7

After a few hours of riding, they passed out of MacKenzie lands, but no one would feel safe until they reached Fraser lands so they kept up their punishing pace. By nightfall, they had reached the edge of the Fraser lands, but Lallybroch was still too far away to reach until morning if they were to continue straight on through. 

Jamie pulled his horse to a stop beside Murtagh's then helped Claire to get down. Together, the three of them set up camp. Murtagh and Jamie went in search of food while Claire got the fire going. Claire gathered some dry grass from near the camp spot as well as some twigs and smaller dead branches which she broke off a dead tree that was on the periphery of their camp. By the time the men returned with their catches, Claire had the fire roaring. She looked up at Jamie as he came closer and smiled at him, "I figured since we are back on your land, that it would be alright to build a fire big enough to stay warm through the night."

Jamie nodded and knelt down next to her, "It seems that growin' up around the world wi' yer uncle, taught ye how to survive out in nature."

Claire smiled at the memories, "Yes, I learned many things that a proper young lady should never know how to do."

Jamie leaned over and placed a kiss on her temple, "And I am glad of it."

Jamie pulled out his dirk and began to gut the fish when Murtagh emerged from the forest with a large game bird swinging from his hand. He plopped down next to Jamie and began plucking its feathers and piling them next to him.

When both men had their catches prepared, they skewered them and put them over the fire to cook. After a bit, the food had cooked through and Claire pulled it off to serve both of the men. Murtagh scowled at her and Jamie noticed, "Murtagh, she means us no harm."

Murtagh narrowed his eyes at Jamie, "How can ye claim such a thing, Jamie, ye have known the lass just as long as I have, we dinna ken if we can trust her or no'. Dougal might have been right in his assumptions that she is a spy."

Jamie looked over at Claire and noticed the shine in her eyes that hinted at tears threatening to fall. He decided then, that it was time to clear the air with Murtagh and tell him everything that had happened up until the point that Murtagh had found Claire again. "Murtagh, I have kent the lass for the past six months and I do ken that she isna a threat nor a spy for anyone."

Murtagh frowned, "How could ye have known the lass for six months, I found her, and I have been wi' ye all that time. I would ken if ye knew the lass."

Jamie sighed, "Claire and I have a story to tell ye and ye most likely willna believe a word of it, but ye must trust me when I tell ye that it's the truth."

Murtagh turned to face both of them a bit more and Jamie began. "Ye have heard the Bard's song about the woman of belnain, aye?"

Murtagh nodded, "Aye, several times, what about it?"

Jamie glanced at Claire and she gave him a small nod that it was alright to continue. Jamie turned back to Murtagh, "When ye found Claire a few days ago, it wasna the first time ye met her. Ye met her once before, much in the same way ye did this time. She warned us about the ambush but instead of the three of us escaping during the confusion, we all fought the British soldiers. I was shot in the melee but I didna realize how badly I was bleeding at the time. Later that night, Claire patched me up and we got back on the horses, eventually reaching Leoch.

When we returned to Leoch, Claire cleaned my wound a bit better and patched me up again. That night she learned what happened wi' Randall and how I got the scars on my back. Eventually, she went and spoke wi' Colum and he insisted that she stay at Leoch. She became the healer for all of the castle's inhabitants and one day Dougal insisted that she go on the road wi' us to collect the MacKenzie rents. While we were on the road we ran into some redcoats that demanded she meet with their commander at Brockton. While she was there she had a run in wi' Black Jack Randall and he beat her. To protect her and his secrets, Dougal suggested she wed me. We wed the next day and eventually returned to Leoch. Laoghaire MacKenzie didna like that Claire and I had wed and she accused her of bein' a witch while I was gone wi' Dougal to his estate to see to the funeral for his wife.

Claire was tried as a witch but I arrived in time to rescue her. After that, Claire told me the truth about herself."

Murtagh furrowed his brow, "So let's say I believe what ye have said, what is the truth about Claire?"

Claire cleared her throat, "Jamie mentioned the woman of belnain, like her, I came through the stones at Craigh Na Dun, near where you found me. I came from the year 1945, 202 years in the future."

Murtagh looked at her in confusion, "So then how do ye explain the both of ye already knowin' each other?"

Claire looked at Jamie and they both nodded in agreement, "After I revealed the truth about myself to Jamie, he took me back to Craigh Na Dun, he thought it was the honorable thing to send me back to my time. But at the last moment, I looked back at him and knew the truth about how he felt about me. But it was too late, I had tripped and when I accidentally touched the stone, I was hurdled back to the first day we met. It seems that I was not the only one to remember those six months, Jamie did as well."

Murtagh looked at Jamie and his frown deepened, "Why would ye do such a thing, ye were already married to the lass."

Jamie sighed as his shoulders slumped, "Claire was married before she came through the stones the first time and I thought it was only right to return her to her first husband, no matter how I felt about her."

Murtagh quirked his eyebrow, "And how do ye feel about the lass, since ye brought it up?"

Jamie looked at Claire and smiled lovingly. Not taking his eyes off of her, he answered Murtagh's question, "I love her wi' everything that I am, she is the love of my life and the one that my father told me about almost a decade ago."

Murtagh grunted and Jamie chuckled as he turned back to look at him, "Tis why we handfast in the cave before ye caught up wi' us. In our hearts and our minds we were already wed, we just needed to make official in this second chance we have been given."

Murtagh furrowed his brow, "Second chance, did somethin' happen the first go round that one or both of ye regret?"

Jamie and Claire nodded simultaneously, "Aye, just after Claire and I wed, we were found by some redcoat deserters while we were enjoyin' our marital duties. One of the deserters attempted to rape Claire while the other held a gun to my head. Claire killed the one who was comin' at her and I killed the other, but the encounter made Claire angry. She was still angry when I went to meet another redcoat deserter that knew the truth about who had killed the officer that I'm blamed for killin'. She noticed how close she was to Craig Na Dun and tried to get there but was captured by some of Black Jack's men. They took her to Fort William where you, Angus, Rupert, and Willie helped me to rescue her. But Randall saw me and all of us knew that he would be after me again since he knew I was back in Scotland. 

Ned Gowen wrote up a petition of complaint against him and ye and I delivered it to Sandringham, but Claire warned us that Sandringham was a particular friend of Black Jack's and Claire was fearful that the letter would fall into the wrong hands. 

This time around, we have all the knowledge we gained over those past six months but none of the consequences we suffered. This time, we have already started to make different choices. This time we will never go to Leoch, but to Lallybroch and from there I will petition the Duke of Argyll for a pardon."

Murtagh shook his head, "Ye have thought it all through then?"

Jamie nodded, "Aye, after each of those mistakes, I thought of ways it could have been different and now we have been given the chance to make better choices."

Murtagh nodded in agreement, "Aye, it seems ye have. So what will ye do wi' yer second chance then?"

Jamie shrugged, "I dinna ken yet, but we will start wi' tryin' to get the price lifted from my head."

Murtagh smiled mischievously, "Aye, and now that yer wife has killed that wicked Captain, yer chances of receiving a pardon have gotten a bit better."

Jamie reached over and took Claire's hand in his, bringing it to his lips to kiss the ring he had given her in their previous life, "Aye, they have. I can finally take my wife home to Lallybroch and she can be my lady."

Murtagh scoffed, "Ye have no' talked to yer sister in nigh on four years, do ye think she will be pleased to see ye and wi' a sassenach wife at yer side?"

Jamie furrowed his brow, "I dinna ken, but it doesna matter, I am the Laird of Lallybroch and Jenny must accept Claire as her lady even if she doesna like it."

* * *

Late the next morning they rode over the last ridge that led to Lallybroch and Jamie pulled his horse to a stop as he gazed upon his home. "Tha i an sin, there it is."

Claire looked down into the valley and gasped at the sight, "You never mentioned that you were the Laird of a castle."

Jamie chuckled, "Tis no' a castle at least no' one like Leoch, tis just the manor house. My father's blood and sweat are in those stones, in this land and now his bones are as well."

Claire tightened her grip on his waist, "When was the last time you saw your father?"

Jamie stiffened as the memory of his father's last day alive came rushing back to him like a flood of water, "It was at Fort William after Randall took me. It was a week after I received the first hundred lashes to my back. My father went there to plead wi' Randall to release me, but Randall told him that it would require a letter from the Duke of Argyll to secure my release. My father kissed me on the cheek just before I was taken into Randall's office. He told me that he would forego the second round of lashes if I would just give him want he wanted."

Claire furrowed her brow, "What is it that he wanted, what could he expect a young man of 18 to be able to give him."

Jamie puffed a breath from his nose, "He was quite clear wi' what he wanted, he wanted me. Said if I would make free of my body that he would forego the next 100 lashes and I would be free to go that day. I considered it, but only for a moment. I thought perhaps that it wouldna be as painful as the flogging, the first lashes still raw on my back. I could scarce bear my shirt, but I had no idea about buggery. But it wasn't the buggery that stopped me from acceptin' his offer, I was afraid of letting my father down."

Claire frowned, "Why would you let him down?"

Jamie smirked, "For giving in, for letting that man break me. So... I refused and I could tell that it angered Randall, but I wasna goin' to give into him. I was taken down to the yard to be strapped to the whipping pole. Randall was so angry wi' me that he decided to administer the second set of lashes himself. Dougal was there, so was my father, but I didna ken it at the time. About halfway through, I fell and my father must have thought I had died. Dougal said he made a small sound, grabbed his chest, and collapsed to the ground. He said he died from apoplexy and there was nothin' that could be done to save him. Dougal took him back to Lallybroch so that Jenny could bury him. A few days later, Dougal and some of his men returned to help me escape, tis when I got the wound on the back of my head, the scar that ye have felt when ye run yer fingers through my hair. It was caused by a blow to the head wi' an ax. I dinna ken for certain who delivered the blow, but I have my suspicions that it was Dougal. After the blow to the head, the next thing I remember was wakin' up in France at the abbey. Apparently, during my escape one of Randall's officers had been shot, his murder is the reason for the price on my head. But there is no way I could have shot the man, I could barely hold my head up, let alone aim a pistol."

Claire shook her head, "I am so sorry that I made him aware of your presence here again."

Jamie chuckled, "It matters not now, ye have killed the bastard and redeemed yer self. None of the British soldiers are any the wiser, as far as they ken, I am still in France. We will be safe enough at Lallybroch, at least for a time. Hopefully, it willna take too long for my pardon to come through now that Randall is dead."

Claire pressed a kiss to his back, "How will you go about obtaining a pardon, who will you get to write up a petition of complaint this time?"

Jamie placed one of his hands over hers that was wrapped tightly around his waist, "I shall send a message to Ned Gowen at Leoch, I am certain he will come. He was loyal to my mother as well and was even the one who wrote up her marriage contract to my father, much to the objection of my uncles and grandsire."

Claire sighed, "Perhaps he will bring us news of Dougal and we will know for certain if we are finished dealing with that devious man."

Jamie chuckled, "Not to fear, mo ghráidh, my uncle willna come to Fraser lands to attempt to take me back. However, we dinna want him to find out that we escaped from under his nose and were no' captured by the British at Cocknammon rock. I will ask Jenny to send the letter requesting Ned's presence in my steed. No one at Leoch will ken that the letter has come from me and we will ask Ned to be discreet and keep our secret once he arrives at Lallybroch."

Jamie took a deep breath, "Ye best prepare yer self, ye are about to meet my formiddable sister as soon as the hounds announce our arrival."


	8. Chapter 8

Just as Jamie had predicted, as soon as they approached the arch that led to the dooryard of Lallybroch, the hounds came bounding around the corner, braying loudly announcing the newcomer's presence. Jamie slid down off the horse, then reached his hands up to Claire's waist to help her down. He kept her behind him as he approached the dogs, "Seas, Bran, Lucas, Seas."

The dogs stopped in their tracks and awaited their master's approach. Jamie walked closer and knelt down in front of them to greet them. The dogs took this as their signal to tackled Jamie to the ground, giving him welcoming excited licks as he fought to get off of his back and return to his feet. Claire giggled at the sight and Murtagh rolled his eyes as he jumped down off his own horse and came to stand next to Claire. "The fool has been gone for nigh on four years, but ye wouldna ken it from the reaction of his beasts."

Murtagh looked up at a sound that came from just beyond Jamie and the hounds. He nudged Claire's elbow and gestured with his chin for her to look past Jamie. Claire lifted her gaze and smiled at the sight on the front steps of Lallybroch. Jamie pushed the dogs off and came to his feet, just as Claire had looked up. He looked up as well and his eyes lit up, "Ian, what are ye doin' here?"

Ian chuckled, "It's good to see ye too, Jamie."

Jamie strode forward, capturing his best friend in a bone crushing embrace. After he released him he looked up and over Ian's shoulder, to see Jenny with a baby on her hip, beaming happily at him. "Brother, we thought ye were dead."

Jamie bowed his head bashfully, "I'm sorry, Jenny, truly I am."

Jenny rushed forward, thrusting the baby into Ian's arms. Ian grunted as he accepted the child. Murtagh had guided Claire closer and Ian looked up just as she approached, "Hello, my name is Claire Fraser, you must be Ian."

Ian nodded, "Aye, Ian Murray, Jamie's best friend and brother in law."

Claire smiled and curtsied politely, "It's so nice to meet you, Ian and who is this sweet little lad?"

Ian looked down at the child in his arms with a proud grin, "This is mine and Jenny's son, James Jacob Fraser Murray."

Jamie looked up and released Jenny from his embrace as he spun around to look at the child in Ian's arms. "You and Jenny, you're married?"

Ian chuckled, "Aye, we wed in November of 1740, not long after Randall took you to Fort William."

Jamie clenched his jaw at the memory, then he looked down at the child in Ian's arms and realized that the boy couldn't be older than two years old. He knew in that moment, that the child couldn't be Randall's and in Ian's arms, Jamie could see the resemblance between father and son. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding and reached out to touch the child's cheek, "Hello there, wee Jamie, I'm yer uncle."

Claire noticed Jenny wipe a tear from her eye, but she remained silent, waiting for Jamie to introduce her to the formidable Jenny Fraser Murray.

After a moment of taking in his nephew, Jamie realized that he still had someone to introduce as well. He turned back to look at Claire, who was standing patiently next to Murtagh. He reached his hand out to her and she gratefully accepted, allowing Jamie to draw her against his side. He turned back to face his sister and with a grin on his face, he looked at Claire, "Jenny, this is Claire, my wife."

Jenny smiled politely and nodded, "Pleasure to meet ye Claire, welcome to Lallybroch."

Claire returned the smile and curtsied, "The pleasure is all mine, Jenny, thank you for having me here."

Jenny's eyes went wide as her gaze bounced back and forth between Claire and Jamie then finally stopping on Jamie as her jaw clenched, "Ye married a Sassenach?"

Jamie sighed and clenched his own Jaw, "Aye, Claire is English, but she isna like the rest of them, she is a good woman and I'll thank ye to treat her wi' respect."

Jenny scoffed as she spun on her heel and began to walk away, "I never thought ye would be one to be so trustin' of the English."

Jamie clenched his jaw and growled lowly in his throat as he turned to whisper to Claire, "Perhaps it was a mistake to come here."

Claire nodded, "Yes, perhaps it was. But we are in need of a hot meal and a place to rest, at least for a few days. Perhaps after that, we can plan what we will do next."

Jamie nodded, "Aye, I can feel the tension and though it turns out that Dougal was wrong about Randall gettin' Jenny wi' his bairn, I dinna feel as though we are welcome here."

Claire's shoulders slumped, "But where will we go, you are a wanted man until we can obtain your pardon?"

Jamie furrowed his brow in thought, "Perhaps we can sail to France, I have a cousin there and we will be safe. We can petition the courts from France and if the Duke of Argyll doesna issue my pardon, we could just remain in France."

Claire sighed as Jamie led her up the steps and into his childhood home, "I'm sorry, Jamie, this is all my fault. If you hadn't have married me or brought me home with you, Jenny would have welcomed you back with open arms."

Jamie shook his head, "I would never have come back if it were no' for ye. Lallybroch was where I was born, but ye are my home now, Claire. No matter where we are in the world, as long as ye are by my side, I will be home. Be it at Lallybroch, in France, or across the pond in the colonies, if ye are there, that is where I will be and I will be happy. Now, let's get inside and see what Mrs. Crook has prepared to eat."

* * *

After they ate, the four adults found themselves sitting in the parlor, sipping whisky in a charged silence. A few minutes had passed and Jamie could no longer take it. He looked up from his whisky and across the room to where his sister was sitting next to Ian, "Jenny, I must tell ye what Dougal told me, so ye will understand why I stayed away for so long."

Jenny pressed her lips together in annoyance before answering him, "Well, I'm waitin'."

Jamie nodded and Claire reached over to give his knee a tender squeeze. He looked to Jenny again and then began, "Dougal told me that Randall raped ye and got ye wi' a bastard child." Jenny opened her mouth to protest but Jamie raised his hand to silence her and her mouth clamped shut. "I ken the lad is too young to belong to Randall and he quite favors Ian. But I need ye to tell me what happened. I have carried a guilt wi' me all these years for what I let happen to ye."

Jenny sighed as her shoulders slumped, "Aye, I suppose ye would. Alright, I'll tell ye, but just this once, after that I willna speak of it ever again."

Jamie nodded and sat up a bit straighter, waiting for Jenny to begin her story. Jenny looked over to Ian, who gave her a reassuring smile, then she returned her gaze to Jamie and began as she twirled her whisky tumbler in her hands. "After he felled ye, he took me in the house and led me upstairs to the bedroom. He stopped in the hall just outside the bedroom to fondle me, I hit him wi' a candlestick, but he hit me back. After that, he dragged me into the room and pushed me onto the bed. When I turned around, he was rubbin' himself, I didna ken it at the time, but he was... makin' himself ready. I dinna ken why, but I began to laugh and I could see that he didna like it, so I laughed some more. He hit me, but I kept laughin' then he hit me again, hard and I was knocked unconscious. When I came back to myself, he was gone and so were ye. But I was a virgin on my weddin' night, Ian can attest to that at least. Our wee Jamie will be two years old in August. He was likely conceived on our weddin' night."

Ian reached over and took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips for a tender kiss. Jenny cupped her still flat belly, "And this one should be here in time for the fall harvest."

Jamie's eyes went wide, "Yer expectin' another bairn?"

Jenny nodded "Aye, we are. Are the two of ye as well, is that why ye wed the Sassenach?"

Jamie clenched his jaw, "No, I married Claire because I love her, just as our father loved our mother. Claire and I handfast a few days ago, and we plan to be properly wed soon."

Jenny scoffed, "What of the price on yer head?"

Jamie sighed, "I plan to petition the Duke of Argyll for a pardon. Tis one of the things I was hopin' to speak wi' ye about."

Jenny quirked her brow, "Oh, do tell."

Jamie rolled his eyes in exasperation, "I would like for Ned Gowen to draw up the petition, but if Dougal kens of my escape, he will likely send men to kill me. I had hoped that ye would write a letter to Ned, summoning him to Lallybroch so that Claire and I might speak wi' him."

Jenny rolled her eyes, "Aye, I suppose. We can sit down in the study this evening and ye can dictate what ye want to be included in the letter."

Jamie smiled gratefully, "Thank ye, Jenny, truly."


	9. Chapter 9

Later that evening, the four adults convened in the study so that Jamie could dictate his letter to Jenny. Ian poured them all a dram of whisky then took a seat in the chair near the hearth.

Jamie and Claire chose to sit next to each other on the chaise near the window, while Jenny sat in the large chair behind the desk.

Once she had collected her writing implements from the various desk drawers, she looked up at Jamie, an air of inpatients radiating off of her. "Any time yer ready to begin, I'm prepared."

Jamie swallowed past the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat at the thought of the atrocities that Randall had committed against him and that brutality being the reason behind the letter that Jenny was about to pen for him. Claire squeezed his hands in reassurance and he looked up at Jenny and began. Jamie quickly glanced at Claire and suddenly felt much better and able to begin. He looked back and Jenny and put a forced smile on his face, "The letter needs to be from ye, Jenny, in case anyone else happens to read it. I dinna wish for anyone at Leoch to ken that Claire and I survived the ambush or that we escaped to Lallybroch. I dinna wish to bring that kind of trouble here, so I'll tell ye what I would write if the letter were comin' from me directly and ye can change to suit how ye would write the request."

Jenny nodded as she set her quill down, "Alright, so then begin, we have'na got all night."

Jamie shifted in his seat a bit, then looked down at his and Claire's clasped hands, "Dear Ned, as ye ken there is a price on my head, I would like to request yer help to get that price lifted. I would like to wed and I am no' a prospect as an outlaw for a lass to wed. I would like to have ye write up a petition against Black Jack Randall for the crimes he has committed against myself, my sister, and my betrothed, Claire Beauchamp. It is my belief that the Duke of Argyll would be amenable to help me to get the price removed from my head once he hears why I couldna have committed the crime that I am accused of."

Jenny rolled her eyes, "I think once I get him here, that ye can tell him all of that. This letter summoning his presence at Lallybroch needs to remain simple wi' as little detail as possible if ye dinna wish to raise suspicions."

Jamie furrowed his brow, "How do we accomplish that wi'out tellin' him why he is needed?"

Jenny huffed, "How about this. Dear Mr. Gowen, ye might no' remember me, but I am the daughter of Ellen MacKenzie Fraser. Lallybroch is currently in my and my husband's care, but a legal matter has arisen. I ken that ye are the best lawyer in all of Scotland and I wouldna feel comfortable movin' forward wi' this matter until I seek yer legal council. Yer presence is requested at Lallybroch, post haste.

Sincerely, Jenny Fraser Murray."

Jamie nodded as a satisfied grin grew across his face, "Aye, that'll do. If ye write it tonight, we can send it wi' the post in the mornin' and it should only take at most five days to reach Leoch."

Jenny picked up her quill and began writing. She finished rather quickly, then passed the letter over to Jamie to read, "What do ye think, do ye think that he will come?"

Jamie read through the letter then nodded, "Aye, I do, but perhaps ye should add a bit about keepin' his visit to himself and that ye dinna wish for our uncles to ken about him comin' to Lallybroch or about ye writin' to him."

Jenny nodded and took the letter back and added a bit at the end, waiting to sign her name until Jamie had read through it again and approved of what she had written. Once they were happy with the letter's contents, Jenny carefully folded the letter then sealed it with a bit of wax, pressing her father's ring into the wax.

With that business concluded, Jenny placed all of the writing implements back in their respective places then folded her hands in front of her on the desk and looked at Jamie and Claire, "What are yer plans after Ned comes to see ye?"

Jamie took a deep breath then looked at Claire. "I ken that it will take some time to obtain my pardon and we dinna wish to tempt the redcoats into takin' me by remainin' in Scotland. So Claire and I have decided to go to France, at least until my pardon has come through and I am no longer a wanted man."

Jenny's eyes went wide, "What do ye plan to do while yer in France, has Claire got relative's there, where will ye live?"

Jamie furrowed his brow, "I thought perhaps I could work wi' Jared as I did when I lived wi' him before and perhaps he would allow us to stay wi' him, at least until we can save enough to get a place of our own."

Jenny scoffed, "Tis a lot of hope in yer plans, what if none of that works out?"

Jamie shrugged as if his shirt didn't fit quite right, "I dinna ken, but we can figure that all out once we get there. There is no need to worry over things that have'na happened yet."

Jenny unfolded her hands and stood up, "Well, ye should at least go up and see father while yer here, since ye dinna plan on stayin'."

Jamie looked at her in confusion, "Jenny, I canna stay here, it would only bring trouble to Lallybroch and ye have'na exactly rolled out the welcome mat. Ye act as if I am refusin' yer hospitality, but ye have been anythin' but hospitable. From the moment ye learned that Claire was English, ye have been rude and acted as if us bein' here is a burden on ye."

Jenny rolled her eyes, "Can ye blame me, she's English, we dinna ken her true intentions for bein' here."

Jamie took a deep breath and clenched his jaw, "I ken why she is here, I ken all I need to and if I knew that I could trust ye wi' the truth, I would tell ye, but I ken that I canna. Unless and until ye prove otherwise, Claire and I will keep our secrets to ourselves and we will leave Lallybroch as soon as I speak to Ned Gowan."

Jamie stood up, grabbed Claire's hand and pulled her up with him. He then turned to give Jenny one last scowl before storming out the door and making his way upstairs to his old room. When Jamie pushed the door open, he drew Claire in with him, then kicked the door shut before walking over to sit on the bed. Claire stood next to the door, dumbfounded at his sudden outburst and unsure what to do with herself. She waited until Jamie sat down on the bed and buried his head in his hands before going over to him and kneeling before him, "Jamie, my love, look at me please."

Jamie reluctantly lifted his head out of his hands and looked up at her, the tender look on her face, dulling his ire immediately, "I'm sorry, mo nighean donn, I didna ken she would be like that. Ye dinna deserve to be treated as such, especially no' by my sister. Perhaps we should leave for France in the mornin' and Jenny can send Ned to France when he comes to Lallybroch."

Claire furrowed her brow, "I don't think that will make any of this any simpler, but if that is what you truly wish to do, I won't argue with you."

Jamie shook his head, "Nah, yer right, Ned might no' be able to be away from the MacKenzie's for that long, tis better to get it taken care of before we leave for Paris."

Claire narrowed her eyes in thought, then suddenly her eyes grew wide with realization, "Jamie, your uncle lives in Paris?"

He nodded in confusion, "Aye, did I no' mention that before?"

Claire shook her head, "I don't believe so, but that is not the point."

Jamie frowned, "Then what is the point?"

Claire rolled her eyes, "I told you about the rising, about Culloden, about the Jacobites and the bonnie Prince Charlie."

Jamie nodded, "Aye, ye did, but what has that got to do wi' anythin'?"

Claire smirked, "The Prince is in Paris right now, perhaps we could convince him that going to war now, is a bad idea."

Jamie sat up a bit straighter, "Ye have an awfully high opinion of what a Sassenach lassie and a Scottish outlaw can accomplish."

Claire shrugged, "It's worth a try, just think of all the lives we could save if we could stop it all from happening."

Jamie looked her directly in the eyes, "Tis no' a very honorable path yer laying out for us."

Claire's expression softened into one of understanding and pleading, "I know, but we have to try, there has to be some reason why I was sent back to this time."

Jamie's eyes went wide, "I thought it was because ye were meant to be wi' me."

Claire sighed, "Well, yes, of course, there is that, but if that was the only reason, why weren't you brought forward to me? If you had come to my time, you would have been safe, with no price on your head, no uncles trying to control you, and not looking forward to a future with a war you cannot win."

Jamie made a sound in his throat that Claire couldn't quite decipher the meaning of. Then he stood up and began to pace, after a few minutes he stopped in front of her. "How would we go about it, what if he willna listen to reason?"

Claire furrowed her brow in thought for a moment, then her eyes brightened with an idea, "No matter what, we will make sure that Charles Stuart does not raise an army."

Jamie quirked his brow, "What do ye have in mind to stop him if he willna give up on his doomed cause?"

Claire took a deep breath and looked at him earnestly, "Let's not worry about that until the time comes, first we will do what we can to convince him that a war is futile."

Jamie nodded, "Aye, we will cross that bridge when we come to it."


	10. Chapter 10

It took a fortnight before Ned rode into Lallybroch unaccompanied. During that time, Claire and Jamie had mainly remained sequestered in their room.

Jenny had remained opposed to their union but Jamie was an adult and Jenny no longer had power over his decisions. 

Mrs. Crook had taken to delivering their meals to their room because neither wished to encounter Jenny. With each empty tray sitting outside the couple's door, Jenny became more and more agitated.

When Ned finally appeared, Jenny was elated to finally have a reason to force Jamie to speak to her. She climbed the stairs to the fourth floor guest room and pounded on the door. "Jamie, Mr. Gowan has arrived, come down to the parlor and say yer piece."

Jamie opened the door just enough to poke his head out, "Please see him to the study. Claire and I wish to speak to him in private."

Jenny scoffed and rolled her eyes as she spun around, her skirts twirling and fluttering after her.

A few minutes later, Jamie and Claire descended the stairs, hand in hand. Jamie led Claire to the study, then closed and locked the door behind them. Jamie took a seat in his father's chair behind the giant oak desk. Claire walked over and stood at his shoulder in a show of loyalty and support.

Jamie folded his hands on the desk in front of him and leaned forward. "Ned, it was so good of ye to come."

Ned nodded, "Well, to be honest, I dinna ken exactly why I am here, but I'm hoping yer going to enlighten me."

Jamie nodded, "Aye, but first, do ye have news of my uncle and his men?"

Ned pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket, then removed his glasses and began cleaning the lenses. After a deep breath, he looked up at Jamie and Claire, "Dougal and his men were ambushed on the road. Most of the men escaped wi'out even a scratch, but Dougal and a few of the other men were injured quite badly."

Jamie furrowed his brow in mock worry, "What happened, was anyone killed?"

Ned shook his head, "Nah, thankfully everyone survived, but Dougal's injury has changed his life."

Jamie looked up at Claire and took her hand in his, "What happened to him?"

Ned placed his glasses back on his face, then tucked his handkerchief back into his pocket, "Dougal was shot, the round entered through the side of his abdomen and lodged in his spine. The man canna move from the waist down."

Claire's eyes went round and she squeezed Jamie's hand. Ned cleared his throat and continued, "Colum has taken his title of war chief since he is no longer able to conduct those duties. But everyone was worried about what happened to ye, lad."

Jamie took a deep breath and sat up tall, "We were there when the redcoats attacked. I heard them and turned my horse into the woods to let Claire get down so she could hide, but before I could they were shootin' at us. Murtagh kicked his horse and slapped mine in the hindquarter, causin' the beast to run. The redcoats chased us for near to four hours and we knew the only safe place that was in our direction of travel was Lallybroch. We didna ken that there were other redcoats that had attacked the rest of the men, we assumed all of them had chased us."

Ned nodded, "Tis good that ye got away then, Dougal told me of yer injured shoulder and the sassenach that ye rode wi'. Ye both likely would have died if ye hadna been able to outrun them."

Jamie nodded and sighed as he squeezed Claire's hand, "Aye, tis a good thing indeed. Now why was I summoned here and why shall I keep the nature of my visit secret?"

Jamie squared his shoulders and took a deep breath, "As ye ken there is a price on my head for the murder of a redcoat officer. I am innocent of those charges and wish to have the price removed from my head. I would like for ye to write up a petition of complaint against the man who was responsible for that man's murder as well as responsible for the scars on my back and the attempted rape of my betrothed and my sister."

Ned's eyes grew wide, "Captain Randall was the one that killed that soldier?"

Jamie nodded, "Aye, he was. I spoke to a redcoat deserter by the name of Horrocks, he was there that day and witnessed the Captain shooting his own man."

Ned shook his head and scoffed, "Yer fightin' an uphill battle, accusin' a redcoat Captain, he will argue that it was ye that committed the crime."

Jamie smirked, "He'll have a difficult time doin' so."

Ned frowned, "How so?"

Jamie chuckled, "Claire killed the bastard when he tried to rape her. The monster is dead and willna ever harm anyone ever again."

Ned sighed as he shook his head, "Well then, I suppose that we should get that petition written up. Mind it will likely take several months before a pardon comes through. What do ye plan to do until it does?"

Jamie looked up at Claire with a gleam in his eye, "We are leavin' for France on the morrow. We will reside wi' my cousin Jared until my pardon comes through. Ye can send the pardon to Lallybroch, to my brother in law, Ian Murray and he will then send it on to me in Paris."

Ned nodded, "Alright then, let me prepare and then the both of ye can recount yer encounters with Captain Randall."

Jamie and Claire recounted every encounter they had experienced with Jack Randall and when they were finished, Jamie called for Jenny so that she could tell Ned what had happened during her encounter with the madman. When it was all said and done, Ned had three sheets of paper filled with testimony and each of the three victims signed their names at the bottom. He folded up the petition and stood, "I'll get this delivered to the Duke of Sandringham as soon as I return to Leoch."

Jamie's eyes went wide, "NO, ye must send it to the Duke of Argyll, Sandringham was friends wi' Jack Randall and he wouldna be inclined to help me."

Ned furrowed his brow, "Alright lad, I'll do as ye ask, but it will likely take longer for yer pardon to come through."

Jamie shrugged, "I dinna care how long it takes, just as long as the price is lifted from my head. I am no' a criminal and I am tired of hidin' and lookin' over my shoulder as if I were one."

Ned nodded as he tucked the petition into his case, "Dinna fash, lad, I'll get this taken care of as quickly as possible. Now if there is nothin' else, I'll be on my way."

Jamie looked over at Claire then back to Ned, "Actually there is one more thing."

Ned frowned, "Aye, what is it then?"

Jamie cleared his throat, "Claire and I have been handfasted, but we wish to be wed. Would ye be willin' to draw up a marriage contract for us?"

Ned's frown turned to an expression of understanding, "Aye, I can do that."


	11. Chapter 11

After Ned finished drafting the marriage contract and dusted sand over the wet ink, Jamie and Claire looked it over, happy that it was finally done. Jamie left the fresh parchment laying on the desk as he pulled Ned into a warm hug, "Thank ye for everything ye have done for us, we dinna ken how we can ever thank ye enough."

Ned pulled back from the embrace, a bit uncomfortable with the sudden affection Jamie was showing him, "Och, tis nothin' lad, ye just keep yer self outta trouble long enough for me to obtain yer pardon."

Jamie took a step back, reached a hand out for Claire, and when she stepped closer, he brought her tightly against his side. "We'll just go up and pack our things now, then ride wi' ye into Broch Mordha before we part ways. While yer headed back to Leoch, Claire and I will ride on into Inverness and board a ship for Paris. I have kin there that should take us in while we wait for the pardon."

Ned nodded and removed his glasses, to rub his handkerchief over the lenses once more, "Aye, good. Tis probably best if ye remain there until ye have yer pardon in hand."

Jamie cleared his throat, "I also wanted to be certain that I have yer word that ye willna mention that ye have seen or spoken to me or Claire?"

Ned furrowed his brow, "I dinna like lyin' to either of yer uncles lad, but I came here as yer attorney and as such, everything that was said or done during my visit was done under that privilege. I canna and a willna reveal anythin' that ye wish for me to keep secret. But should they ask, and surely they will, what should I say is the reason for yer sister summoning me?"

Jamie furrowed his own brow and rubbed the stubble on his chin with this free hand, "Perhaps ye could say that it was that she was lookin' into purchasing some cattle and she needed ye to look over the ledgers to see if Lallybroch could sustain such a venture at this time."

Ned grinned sheepishly, "And should they ask if Lallybroch is indeed able to do such a thing, that information would fall under attorney client privilege and I couldn't reveal it to them, even if I wished to."

Jamie grinned mischievously, "Aye, ye couldna, could ye."

Ned rolled his eyes, "Ye have a bit more of the MacKenzie blood runnin' through the veins than anyone gives ye credit for, lad, I'll give ye that."

Jamie chuckled, "Aye, I suppose I do. But now that our business is finished, why dinna ye head into the kitchen and see if Mrs. Crook has somethin' for ye to eat while Claire and I go up and pack our things."

Ned nodded and stepped through the door as Jamie pulled it open and gestured for him to walk through first, "I think I'll do just that lad, but dinna take too long, I wish to be on the road before it gets too much later. I want to make it a fair distance before I make camp for the night."

Jamie patted Ned on the shoulder, "No' to worry, we dinna have much that we need to get ready, just a trunk that needs to be loaded into the wagon. It shouldn't take us more than 20 minutes or so."

Ned nodded in agreement and turned left to go into the kitchen as Jamie turned right to walk through the parlor and head upstairs to the small room they had been using since their arrival.

As Jamie and Claire were packing the last of their belongings into Jamie's trunk, there was a soft knock on the door, then Jenny peaked her head in. Jamie looked up, confusion written all over his face, "Jenny?"

Jenny stepped inside and closed the door softly, wringing her hands in front of her. "I came to apologize to ye both."

Jamie handed Claire the shirt he was folding and turned his full attention to his sister, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared her down, "Aye ye do, but why have ye suddenly decided to offer up an apology a mere few minutes before we're set tp leave Lallybroch?"

Jenny took a deep breath and forced her hands apart and down to her sides as she stood as tall as possible to face her brother's ire, "When ye first returned to Lallybroch wi' a Sassenach as a bride, I was angry wi' ye, but for more than just that. I blamed ye for father's death and then for no' lettin' us ken ye were alive these past four years. But ye ken all of that already. I have no' seen much of either one of ye since ye have been here, but what I have seen is enough to ken that ye truly do love one another, yer perfect for each other. But that is no' what changed my mind about ye, I still couldna understand how ye could choose to bind yer self to a sassenach. What changed my mind, was readin' through that petition of complaint before I signed my name to it. I should have given ye a chance to explain when ye returned, but I had it in my head that I was right and ye were wrong. I saw Claire as the enemy, just because she was no' born in Scotland and I hated her for it."

Jamie scoffed, "And I suppose that yer gonna tell me that after readin' the petition that now ye suddenly dinna hate her anymore?"

Jenny shook her head, "Nah, I wouldna ye that. Actually, I realized a few days back that my hate for Claire is all my own doin', she seems to be a good woman that genuinely cares for ye. Readin' that petition made me realize that her bein' English only has to do wi' where she was born. I didna ken that she killed that bastard Randall, or that he tried to rape her. She has just as much reason to hate him and the rest of the English as I do. I also didna ken until I read that petition what Randall wanted to do to ye after he had ye carted off to Fort William. After readin' that, I realized that there is a monster in that man, that no one can influence and it wouldna have mattered what ye said or did, he still would have punished ye the same and father still would have died. It wasna yer fault that father died, nor mine either. I have no' seen the scars on yer back, but I have heard stories from the folks that were there when ye received them, about the harshness in which Randall laid down the lashes."

Jamie let his arms fall to his sides and his stubborn demeanor changed, "Aye, halfway through the second round of lashes, I blacked out and everyone thought I had died. Uncle Dougal said that is the moment that father made a small sound, grabbed his chest, and crumbled to the ground. Aye, my back is covered in scars, but I dinna wish for ye to see them, I'm ashamed of them."

Jenny furrowed her brow and took a small tentative step closer to him, "Jamie, ye have nothin' to be ashamed of, ye got those scars because ye were defendin' my honor."

Jamie shook his head and turned away from her, "Nah, I got them for takin' a piece of bread and tryin' to escape from Fort William."

Jenny scoffed and took another step toward him, reaching her hand out to lay on his shoulder, "Ye wouldna have even been in Fort William, had ye no' been defendin' my honor."

Jamie rolled his eyes and spun around to look at her, "That might very well be the truth of it, but did ye no' expect me to come down and protect ye, yer my sister for Christ's sake."

Jenny took a deep breath and grabbed Jamie by the shoulders, to hold him in place, "I thank ye for that, bráithair, but none of this would have happened if that mad bastard hadna shown his face on our doorstep. I dinna wish to argue wi' ye about this anymore. I came up to give ye my apology and to tell ye that when yer pardon comes through, ye and Claire are welcome to return to Lallybroch. Ye are the true Laird and Lady Broch Tuarach, after all."


End file.
